Journal of International Humanitarian Action (Feb 2024)
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on violations of the right to integrity of the person
Abstract
Abstract The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been having a devastating impact on society not only from a health and economic perspective but also due to its direct and indirect effects on the human rights of citizens. In particular, the pandemic has had several negative effects on citizens’ right to integrity. For example, lockdown measures adopted by governments to manage the pandemic frequently resulted in increased levels of violence against women and girls; so much so that the UN body working on gender equality (UN Women) coined a new term—‘shadow pandemic’—to refer to the severe intensification of all forms of violence against women and girls that occurred during the pandemic, particularly domestic violence. In addition, in some cases, police officials have employed disproportionate force to ensure strict adherence to public health measures. Finally, hate crimes against individuals of Asian origin or descent have increased substantially in Western countries. However, and perhaps more surprisingly, there have been situations in which the pandemic, directly or indirectly, has seemingly led to a decrease in specific forms of violence. Researchers have, for instance, observed that at the height of the pandemic, there has been a decrease in reported cases of street violence against women, because of fewer people leaving their homes. Based on document analysis and a review of selected country case studies, this article aims to provide a thorough overview of the different types of violations of the right to integrity of the person that have emerged, worsened, or, possibly, decreased as a direct or indirect consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. It focuses on three key types of violations: domestic violence, violence against women in public spaces, excessive use of force by law enforcement agents, and racial violence against individuals of Asian origin or descent. The article starts by introducing the right to integrity of the person and then focuses on the different forms of integrity rights violations that have emerged as a direct or indirect consequence of the pandemic. It concludes by reflecting on lessons learned and by providing some evidence-based recommendations on possible rights-infringement mitigation strategies during public health crises.
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